Sports Spotlight

I’LL DINK TO THAT

Did you know that Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America?  With busy lives and schedules, we are always looking for ways to get our bodies moving!  Pickleball is fun, social and appropriate for all ability levels.  Its rules are simple to learn and conducive to beginners.  However, it can also turn into a fast-paced and competitive game.  

What You Need

• Pickleball paddle - they make paddles specifically for beginners
• Pickleball balls
• Pickleball court near you
• Consider a beginner class or private lesson - you may be able to borrow equipment if you’re just trying it out

How to Play

The game is played on a badminton sized court which is 20’ x 44’.  The net is 36” at the sidelines and 34” at the center.  Each side has an area 7’ which is a non-volley zone commonly known as the “kitchen”.  No volleys can be hit here.  Grab a partner because the game is often played in doubles (or 2 players on each side).  Let’s go through some of the rules.

Rules

Rule #1 - A Serve Starts

Starting with the player on the right side of the court, the player serves the ball to the other side.  It’s served diagonally to the opponent in the opposite service area.The server can either hit the ball off a bounce or out of the air, but it must clear the “kitchen” for it to count.  The serve must be hit with contact below the waist.  However, it can be either an underhand forehand or backhand.

Rule #2 - Ball must Bounce on Both Sides Before Volley

A volley is when a player hits a shot out of the air.  Before a volley can happen, the ball must bounce once on each side.  This is known as the two-bounce rule.

Rule #3 - Each Point Continues Until a Fault

After the serve, play continues until a “fault” is committed. A fault ends the rally. In pickleball, there are four basic types of faults:

• The serve does not clear the kitchen (including the line).
• The ball lands out of bounds (behind the baseline or outside the sideline).
• The ball hits the net.
• The ball bounces twice on one side before the player can return it.

Rule #4 - You Can’t Volley in the Kitchen

In other words, you can’t hit a ball out of the air in the 7’ no-volley zone known as the kitchen.

Rule #5 - You Only Win Points on Your Serve

You only win points when your team is serving and you continue serving until your team loses a rally.  After you win a point while you’re serving, you switch sides (left and right) so you are serving to the opposite opponent.

Rule #6 - Correct Score is Called Before Serving

There are 3 numbers announced as the score before serving.

1. First Number - score of the serving team
2. Second Number - score of the receiving team
3. Third Number - which player is serving, first server (1) or second server (2)

Rule #7 - First Team to 11 Wins, Must Win by 2

Types of Shots

• Drives - These powerful shots are hit off the bounce, often from the baseline. They are played using a forehand or backhand swing.

• Drop Shots - Played at the back of the court, these shots aim to land in the opponent’s kitchen to keep them from attacking.

• Dinks - Like a drop shot but played closer to the net, these touch shots are hit into your opponent’s kitchen and help keep the other team from attacking.

• Volleys - These shots are hit out of the air before the ball bounces. They can only be played outside the kitchen.

• Lobs - These shots are hit high into the air to move opponents away from the kitchen.

• Overheads - Shots hit above the head with a tennis serving motion, used to attack lobs before they bounce.

Sources

https://www.pickleheads.com/guides/how-to-play-pickleball

https://usapickleball.org